TV star Denise Welch brought some early festive cheer to Newcastle on Friday when she helped launch Centre for Life ’s outdoor ice rink.

And the actress was dressed to impress in the pantomime costume she is soon to don for her role in Jack and the Beanstalk which will be showing this Christmas in a specially-built “Pantodrome” just a stone’s throw from the newly-installed rink in Times Square.

The former Loose Women presenter, who will be playing Mother Nature in the upcoming pantomime there, was joined by fellow cast members for a first whirl on the ice.

And, having been a contestant in ITV ’s Dancing On Ice some years back, the North East favourite showed she’d lost none of her skating confidence when she took to the ice for a whirl.

After completing a circuit - joined by Sam Glen as Simple Simon and Daniel Mawston who was dressed in a Christmas tree frock as Dame Trott - Denise joked that her hire boots only went forward and backwards.

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“I’m using as an excuse the fact that I had a big clear-out in the house and by accident threw my ice skates out,” she said. “Had I had my ice skates you would not believe the tricks and the turns I could have done on there!”

Comedian and BBC Newcastle presenter Alfie Joey hosted the official launch of Life’s annual ice rink which will open to the public tomorrow.

Denise Welch is joined on ice by her Jack and the Beanstalk co-stars Daniel Mawston as Dame Trott, left, and Sam Glen as Simple Simon (Image: newcastle chronicle)

And it will remain open daily, save for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, so families can just drop in for some skating fun right up to February 18, 2018.

The only days that will have to be pre-booked are for special openings on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day.

Denise, who is delighted to be back doing panto in Newcastle, said she could well find time for another session on the ice herself during Jack and the Beanstalk in which she will co-star alongside Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, who plays Jack.